George v



G. RASMUSSEN.

POCKET KNIFE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1914.

1,3195%, Patented Oct. 21,1919.

.L I El. w/lim/eww 4a 3/ M j Swim mm GEURGE 1/ R/I8MUSSE/V 1-1": rmmmmmlmnulmvn' co, WASHINGTON ma.

GEORGE V. RASMUSSEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

POCKET-KNIFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 731, 1219.

Application filed November 25, 1914. Serial N o. 873,853.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE V. RASMUSSEN, a: citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of the borough and county of Richmond, city andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPocket-Knives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to knives known as self opening wherein the bladeis locked in the closed position and a spring is provided for throwingthe blade toward the open position when the same is released orunlocked. The same locking means is generally also adapted to lock theblade in the open position.

Knives of this class as ordinarily made are provided with-alocking'device adapted to be operated by direct pressure normal to theside of the knife upon a locking member which device is apt to beaccidentally released when the knife is in the pocket, in which case theone carrying the knife is liable to be cut or injured if the hand isplaced in the pocket.

The object of my. invention is to overcome these objections by producinga knife ofsimple construction in which a movable cam is adapted torelease the locking device of the blade. This arrangement not onlyrequires a sliding action for operating" the locking device but avoidsthe possibility of the blade being released by direct pressure acting onthe locking member normal to the side of the knife.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated severalforms of myinvention.

Figure 1 is a side view of my pocket knife with handle shell removed andFig. 2 a back view, with the shell partially broken away. Figs. 3 and 4are corresponding views of another example of my knife. Fig. 5 is a viewof the complete knife of the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and Fig. 6 is aview of the locking spring used in the forms shown in Figs. 3 and 4:.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the knife blade provided with a shank 2which is preferably circular in outline, the blade being pivoted at 3.The shank 2 is provided with two notches or depressions 4 located atdiametrically opposite positions and adapted to receive a locking memberwhen the blade is in either the open or closed position, the

open position of the knife being indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 and theclosed position in Fig. 3. The blade is secured between the liningmembers 5 by means of a tubular rivet 6 which acts as the pivot for theblade, the back 7 being secured between the lining members by rivets 8in the usual manner. l/Vitbin the knife and near the back thereof islocated a leaf or flv spring 9 held in place by a rivet 10 substantiallyas illustrated in the drawings. The leaf spring is adapted to operateagainst the heel. of the blade when the same is closed for the pur poseof throwing the blade open or partially open when the locking memberisreleased or withdrawn from the notch 4:- The locking member may beconstructed in several. different ways as hereinafter pointed out.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a leaf spring 20 is employed and provided with thetongue piece 21 adapted to cooperate with notches 4: in the shank of theblade to lock the same in either its open or its closed position. Inthis construction the spring locking member is L-shaped and is providedat 22 with an upturned cam face adapted to cooperate with a cam face 23'formed on lever 24 pivoted at 25 to the lining 5 as indicated in Figs. 1and 2 of the drawing. The oppo site end of the lever 2 lis provided at26 witha finger piece adapted to project through an opening 27 in theshell 18 of the knife handle, as indicated in Fig. .2 of the drawing. A.spring is provided for restoring the lever to normal inactive positionsuch a spring being indicated at 28 as a continuation or tail to thelocking member 20 which is riveted at 29 to the lining 5. In operatingthis form of the device it will be seen that by a lateral pressure uponthe finger piece 26 the cam 23 is forced under the cam face 22 to liftthe tongue piece 21 out of the notches 4 of the blade and release thesame so that it may be open or closed in the manner indicated. Obviouslythe form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 can be utilized for constructing a knifehaving two, three or four blades as desired; for a two bladed knife theopposite end of the knife can be provided with a blade and lockingmechanism similar to that shown in the drawings and if it is desired toincorporate four blades in the knife the lining plates on each side canbe provided with the locking and releasing mechanism at each end sinceall the operative mechanism is confined to one side and one end of theknife.

In Figs. 3, 4L and 5 a modified form of the cam member is shown in whicha lever is pivoted at 51 to the lining of the knife and is provided at52 with an upturned cam por tion adapted to cooperate with the beveledface 53 of the pin 5% slidable in the tubular rivet of the blade pivotedsubstantially as indicated in Figs. 3 and a of the drawing. The lockingspring member of this form of the device is clearly illustrated in Fig.6 wherein it is shown that the spring is riveted to one of the liningplates at 45 and is provided at 4l6 with an enlarged hole through whichone of the rivets 43 is adapted to pass freely for the purpose offastening the shell of the handle to the lining as indicated in Fig.elof the drawing. The lever 50 of the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 isprovided with a finger piece 55 on the end opposite to that carrying thebeveled face 52 which finger piece projects through an opening 56 in theshell 18 substantially as shown in Figs. d and 5 of the drawing. Thespring 57 is provided and adapted in any suitable manner to actuate thelever 50 to restore it to normal inoperative position after it has beendisplaced to move the cam face 52 across the beveled end of the pin 54to release the locking member. This form of the device wherein parts ofthe operating mech anism are located on opposite sides of the bladeobviously does not lend itself to a four blade construction, but it willbe understood that two bladesone at each end of the handle can readilybe constructed if so desired.

I have shown in the accompanying draw ing various modifications of mydevice but it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to theforms shown or described for obviously those skilled in the art can varythe details of construction of the several forms of the device shownwithout decopiel of this patent may be obtained for five cent: each, byaddressing the Commissioner of fatenta.

parting from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in theaccompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In a pocket knife the combination with a blade provided with lookingnotches in the shank thereof, of means cooperating with said notches forlocking the blade opened or closed, a lining plate, a lever pivotallymounted thereon for movement in a plane parallel to said plate, one endof said lever being operatively connected with said locking means forunlocking said blade, a spring for normally holding said leverinposition for the locking means to lock said blade, a scale provided withan elongated opening, and a finger piece secured to said lever and,extending through the opening in said scale, the opening being arrangedto permit movement of the finger piece and lever for unlocking saidblade.

2. In a pocket knife, the combination with a blade provided with lockingnotches in the shank thereof, of a lining plate, a lever pivotallymounted thereon for movement in a plane parallel to said plate, a memberfastened to the lining plate and having a movable end arranged to engagethe locking notches and operatively connected with the aforesaid lever,the other end of said menr ber constituting a spring for normallyholding the lever in position for the movable end to lock the blade, ascale provided with an elongated opening, and a finger-piece secured tosaid lever and extending through the opening in said scale, the openingbeing arranged to permit movement of the finger-piece and lever forunlocking said blade. Q

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses. V e GEORGE V. RASMUSSEN. WVitnesses: r

M. H. LOOKWOOD, JOHN A. FERGUSON.

Washington, D. G. 7

